Overview

Own the definitive version of the 1959 classic Ben Hur in this lavish box set that includes a new feature-length documentary on the film's production, an exclusive production art book, and a 128 page replica of Charlton Heston's journal and sketches.

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Overview

Own the definitive version of the 1959 classic Ben Hur in this lavish box set that includes a new feature-length documentary on the film's production, an exclusive production art book, and a 128 page replica of Charlton Heston's journal and sketches.

Special Features

Discs 1 & 2: The 1959 film, restored frame by frame from the original 65MM camera negative; commentary by film historian T. Gene Hatcher with Charlton Heston; music-only track showcasing Miklos Rozsa’s Academy Award-winning score.Disc 3: New feature-length documentary "Charlton Heston and Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey," featuring never-before-available images and footage from the Heston family's archives; The Thames Television-restored 1925 silent version of Ben-Hur with stereophonic orchestral score by Carl Davis; vintage special features including the documentaries "Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema" and "Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic"; and "Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures," an audiovisual recreation via stills, storyboards, sketches, music, and dialogue; screen tests; highlights from the 1960 Academy Awards Telecast; newsreels, and trailers.Collectible elements include a reproduction of Charlton Heston’s personal diary from January 1958 to April 1960, chronicling his time before production started through the Academy Awards ceremony; Exclusive book with rare photos, production art, and reproductions from the original theatrical pressbook.

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble
- Ed Hulse

After more than 40 years, one of the few biblical epics that doesn’t sacrifice humanity for spectacle, Ben-Hur -- an international box-office smash of legendary proportions and the winner of a then-unprecedented 11 Academy Awards -- still retains its power to enthrall viewers. This third movie adaptation of Lew Wallace’s bestselling novel provided Charlton Heston with perhaps his most memorable role: proud Jewish aristocrat Judah Ben-Hur, falsely accused of a crime and sold into slavery, later to confront his Roman enemies and have his life transformed by contact with Jesus Christ. Director William WylerBest Years of Our Lives ensured success by surrounding himself with some of the industry’s greatest artisans, many of them rewarded with Oscars for their contributions to this flawlessly produced movie. Technical perfection aside, Wyler rated his Best Director Oscar for his superb handling of a fine cast including Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet, and Sam Jaffe. But Ben-Hur’s undisputed highlight remains the climactic, breathtaking chariot race, for which Heston and Boyd did most of their own stunt work. That race, and the film’s other spectacular sequences, can now be fully appreciated by home viewers in the newly mastered, wide-screen DVD edition, which augments the film with an illuminating commentary by Heston. Other extras include a documentary on the production "The Making of an Epic", a gallery of stills, a theatrical trailer, and recently discovered screen tests.

New York Times
- Dave Kehr

By hiring William Wyler...MGM hoped to restore some dignity to a genre that had known its greatest triumphs thanks to the enthusiastic vulgarity of Alessandro Blasetti and the inimitable Cecil B. DeMille. The magnificently produced four-disc version of "Ben-Hur" ... ably advances that claim to respectability. It's an exhaustive, almost scholarly textural compendium, with a gorgeous, crisply detailed new two-disc transfer of the 1959 film.

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Customer Reviews

Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

BEST EVER!!

Next to his portrayl as Moses, THIS IS CHARLESTON HESTON, AT HIS EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY VERY BEST!!!!! He shows how versitale he is in this role as he goes from being a good decent man, to his extreme bitterness towards his fellow man, particularly his once boyhood friend, Masala,only wanting vengence, to back again to man who seeks love and forgiveness after he encounters God. This also incidental to the spectacular chariot race which took several days to film, is a very worthy addition to any movie buff's collection. DO NOT WALK, BUT RUN to get this DVD!!!

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